Friday Foto: Golden Isles

So I've had a pretty good week folks. Very busy, but very productive. This week I sealed the deal on a contract that makes me the exclusive photographer for The Golden Isles Illustrated. The magazine is a regional bi-monthly publication that focuses in and around the Golden Isles. This magazine is ran through a branch of the Brunswick News and used to be in production but has since been on hold. They had some kinks to work out, graphically and editorially. The have decided to revamp the publication, getting fresh writers and designers. They actually sought me out for my photography and after some negotiating, we have agreed on a contract giving me exclusive photo rights within the magazine.... meaning, I will shoot all the pics for the publication's features. I have even been given wide range on what I want to shoot and they are interested in running pictorials of my choice. So, this is great news for me, I'm very excited.

So what else? I'm heading to my cabin this weekend. I'm very excited, ready to get away to the mountains to relax a bit. But, I'll be bringing a lot of work as well and trying to catch up 100% on my work load.

On the Jeep front, I'm finally getting bigger tires for my Scrambler. I'm so excited. After spending all last weekend under a friend's Wrangler installing a 3-inch suspension lift and new 33" tires, I got the fever worse than ever. Hell, I've always had the fever, just didn't push it. I actually found an unbelievable deal on a set of 33" off-road tires (33x12.50 TSL's, for you who care) from a guy up around my cabin, so I'll be picking them up this weekend. I'll post a pic when I get back.

Thanks folks, and have a great weekend. 

Updated Website

After a long time, I've finally updated my web site. I have several new photos through out the site, along with a new gallery format that allows for fullscreen viewing of the photos. So, head on over to www.benjamingalland.com and enjoy folks. 

Thanks, and happy Friday!

Friday Foto: Trash the Dress

Well, not entirely a Trash the Dress shoot, but the closest I've been to one yet. I've been begging my brides to get crazy in their wedding dress after the wedding. Jump in the water, roll on the ground, play in a fountain. The potential for great photos is high! What better juxtaposition then a bride in an elegant wedding dress, doing something not-so-elegant? You may think I'm crazy, but Trashing the Dress has actually become a very popular thing amongst brides these days.

Anyway, so if you keep up with Apple news you will know that they will be releasing a new software for the iPhone and a new iPhone at the beginning of July. Both updates are continuing to revolutionize the cellphone technology market. Kudos to Apple! If you ever wanted an iPhone, July 11 will be a good time to buy one. They upgrade the phone, made it thinner, faster and half the price! 

No major plans this weekend. No weddings or shoots believe it or not. That's all I got folks. Thanks for tuning in. 

Womp Off 2008!

What a huge success the Womp Off held on St. Simons Island was yesterday. Held at The Old Coast Guard Station beach, the Womp Off, or Wompzilla (as some have called it) drew more people this year than the past two combined. I shot the event and hosted a slideshow last night at the award's ceremony up at Gnat's Landing (a local restaurant/bar). Oh, and just in case you don't know what womping is... it's skim boarding. Throwing a thin surfboard-like board on the incoming waves and gliding over it. As you'll see in the pics, it can be pretty dangerous and pretty amazing. 

The first one was shot with a method called panning. I had to stop down the aperture to allow for a slower shutter speed and then pan with the moving subject, allowing for the subject to be in the same spot on the picture (making him appear motionless) and the background blurred across the frame... make sense? It's tricking to get right and I'm really happy I did get this one, and a couple of others.... I'm setting up www.wompoff.com right and I'll let you know when it's up. From here, we'll have more info on the sport, event and all the photos. Hope yall had a great weekend. (as always, click to enlarge these photos!)

Friday Foto: Wompzilla!

This weekend marks the 4th annual Womp Off here on St. Simons Island. What is womping you may ask? Skim boarding, that's what the less-informed call it. You take a thin surfboard-like board, throw it on the skim of the water as the tide comes up, run and jump on it and coast. Womping got it's name from the sound the old plywood boards made as the slapped onto the surface of the water. I had probably the coolest wompboard EVER! I wanted one so bad, and in typical father fashion, we just didn't go out and buy one... NO NO, we had to MAKE it. Oh was it sweet. Marine-grade plywood, about 3/8 of an inch thick, about 10 coats of polyurethane for an ultra-thick coat, with custom graphics like a "B" for ben (hot green, yellow and pink, of course). Ocean Motion and SOS (Save Our Sands) stickers plastered everywhere. Man, I wonder what ever happened to that. No doubt it ended up in one of my Mom's garage sales, fetching a whopping $1.25. Hope somebody dropped it on their big toe as much as I did.

Anyway, I don't womp any more. I think it's a physic thing really. There's some mathematical formula for how much weight to surface to water depth ratio that I'm SURE I EXCEED, thus disabling any womping from my future. Instead, I shoot the boarders, which I find equally as fun. This is really a great event, very family oriented. They teach the little kids how to do it, and then hold all sorts of competitions. After it's over, we have a big award ceremony up at a local restaurants (Gnats) where I'll show a slide show of the good, the bad and the ugly. The whole thing starts Sunday at noon at the old coast guard station beach.

Other than that, I have a pretty busy weekend. I have an engagement photo session Saturday morning with a wedding Saturday evening. My shootin' fingers gonna be tired.

Yall have a great weekend.